Locking mechanism for skis and accessories



y 1964 v. B. CLEMONS ETAL 3,133,619

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SKIS AND ACCESSORIES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 8, 1961 INVENTORS May 1954 v. s. CLEMONS ETAL 3,133,619

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SKIS AND ACCESSORIES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 8, 1961 y 1954 v. B. CLEMO-NS ETAL 3,133,619

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SKIS AND ACCESSORIES Filed June 8, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ('omfzv/ lrey lock Key.

mmvrons Verna/2B. Hie/000s ypoafifiecfifel United States Patent 3,133,619 LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SKIS AND ACCESSORIES Vernon B. Clemons, 505 N. Ruby, and Paul B. Bechtel, 806 E. Manitoba, both of Ellensburg, Wash. Filed June 8, 1961, Ser. No. 115,766 7 Claims. (Cl. 194-64) This invention relates to a coin operated locking device to provide security for skis and ski-poles at heavily patronized ski resorts.

A primary object'of the invention is to provide a simple and practical coin operated device designed for maximum security at minimum cost to the user. This device will be particularly valuable to the owners of expensive equipment during rest and meal periods when it is not convenient to retain the equipment in personal possession, and where it is not otherwise safe to leave the equipment unguarded.

A further object of the invention is to provide a base preferably in the form of a substantially U-shaped plate having medially attached thereto a combined lock housing and coin box, thereby making it possible to arrange the coin box to provide ski or ski-pole repository chambers between the side walls of the box and the plate.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a substantial and useful device which may be principally made from pressed metal, and easily fabricated and assembled to provide an inexpensive equipment guard.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a plurality of devices constituting the present invention arranged on a support and each intended to lock a ski or the like in place.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged front elevation of one of the devices shown in FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in FIGURE 2 further illustrating a proprietors coin box release key.

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of the U-shaped plate, with the combined lock housing and coin box removed to better illustrate the manner in which the said box may be assembly to the attaching wall of the plate before it is locked in place by the proprietors coin box release control key.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional View of the construction shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 7 is a detail elevation of the cam plate including the striking lever and its related cam when the parts are in the unlocked position, that is, when the shank of the locking member has been withdrawn so far as it is permitted to be in order to release the holding teeth from the keeper opening of the cam plate adjacent the locking edge of the strike plate.

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 illustrating the position of the cam and the strike lever when the shank of the patron controlled locking member is in the position shown in FIGURE 6, it being understood that to release the head of the article locking member from the notches in the side walls of the base plate, it is first necessary to remove the strike lever from the teeth of the shank of the article by a cam so that the locking member can be pulled outwardly and then rotated to clear the entrance to the article repository chambers.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that a plurality of skis A or the like may be held securely locked in one of the devices constituting the present invention and designated generally as B. These complete devices may be assembled in any desired laterally spaced relationship on any suitable support designated generally as C.

Referring to the lock mechanism assembly, reference may be first conveniently made to FIGURES 2, 3 and 6.

This assembly includes a base preferably in the form of a transversely U-shaped plate including the opposite side walls 11 connected by a web 2 which also constitutes a wall for securing the entire mechanism to the support C. As will be seen from FIGURES 2 and 3, the medial front edge portions of the side walls 11 are provided with notches 4 which are transversely aligned to receive the notched end portions of a security member in the form of a T-shaped locking bar designated generally as D and having a shank D, all of which will be later described more in detail.

A distinctive feature of the invention resides in providing article repository chambers RC by placing a combined lock housing and coin box E between the opposite walls 1-1 of the base plate. The said coin box includes a front wall 5 having an opening 6 in the transverse plane of the recesses 4. In addition, the box has a top wall 7 provided with a coin slot 8, a bottom wall 9, and opposite side walls 10.

The box E, as will be seen from FIGURES 2 and 6, is provided with a patrons control key barrel 11, which as will presently appear, controls a locking cam, and a proprietors coin box release barrel 12. It will, of course, be understood that the barrel 11 is operated by a key to be retained by the user when his equipment is secure, while the .proprietors lock barrel 12 is operated by a key belonging to the owner, or his authorized representative, for use when it is desired to empty the coins in the box E.

Referring now to the barrel 12 in the bottom wall 9 of the box, it will be observed that thesaid barrel controls a latch 13 (FIG. 6) which is intended to pass into and out of a slot 14 in web 2 (FIG. 5) to lock the coin box in place. In that connection, it is convenient to here point out that the top wall 7 of the box E has a relatively short flange 7*, while the bottom wall 9 has a longer flange 9. As will be seen more particularly from FIGS. 5 and 6, the attaching wall 2 is provided on its inner face with a coin box securing plate 15. This plate has a short upper flange 16 and a lower longer flange 17, both offset to the same side of the plane of the plate 15 to respectively receive the flanges 7 and 9*. Thus, the first step in placing the box on the inner face of the wall 2, is to first insert the flange 9 behind the flange 17 and move it upwardly until the edge of '7 is in position to engage behind the flange 16. The box is then moved downwardly until the latch 13, which projects through the flange 9 registers with the opening 14 so that the latch will lock the box in place and permit the proprietor to withdraw his key from the barrel 12.

The inner side of the front face 5 of the coin box is engaged by the legs 18 of a bracket 19 secured to the box by fastenings 20. This bracket has an opening 21 which is coaxial with the opening 6 to receive the shank D of the locking member D.

The rear side of the bracket 19 is provided with a cover plate 22 which also has an opening 23 disposed coaxially with respect to openings 6 and 21. The said cover plate 22 is provided with a keeper opening 25 intended to cooperate with the edge of a strike lever 27. This lever is pivoted near its lower end as at 28 to the cover plate 22 and its upper end is provided with a shoulder 29 intended to engage with a shoulder 30 (FIG. 7) of a cam 31 which is controlled by the barrel 11 of the patrons control key. In other words, when security member D is in an unlocked position (FIG. 7) the cam 31 is in position to receive a coin in the pocket 32 which normally faces the coin slot 8 in the top wall 7. The strike lever 27 is biased by a suitable spring 28 so that its edge portion will project itself as a chord across the opening 25 as shown by the dotted lines 25 in FIGS. 7 and 8 when the shank D is locked against withdrawal from the coin box.

The cover plate 22 is also provided with a cam pawl 33 which normally follows the periphery of the cam 31. If a coin has been properly inserted through slot 3, into pocket 32, the panel 33 will ride over the coin to permit continued rotation of the panel as will be later explained in greater detail. If no coin has been inserted in pocket 32, then pawl 33 will drop down into the pocket and prevent further rotation of the pawl in a clockwise direction. Thus, the device cannot be locked unless a coin is inserted even though one may have the key.

Referring more in detail to the security or locking member DD, it will be observed that, as previously stated, it is of substantially T-shaped formation. When the head D is positioned in the notches 4-4, the equipment is locked in place because the teeth D on the side of the shank D will engage the edge 27 of the lever 27. To prevent complete withdrawal of the shank D through the registering openings 6, 21, and 23, the inner end portion of the shank D is threaded to receive a nut D which, when said shank is withdrawn from the teeth D it will engage the cover plate 22 and retain the device D within the box E while permitting it to be turned through an angle of 180 to clear the repository chambers RC.

The operation of the device is as follows.

Assuming that the head D of the locking bar is turned vertically to permit skis or other articles to be placed in the repository chambers RC, it will be understood that the mechanism is in the unlocked condition, and the strike lever 27 and cam 31 assume the position shown in FIG- URE 7. The cam 31 is moved in the direction of the arrow in FIGURE 7 under the influence of the patrons key controlling barrel 11 to cause the cam pawl 33 to ride over the opening 32 in the cam 31 and over the coin (not shown) inserted through the slot 8 in top plate 7. The cam 31 is rotated 180 until the shoulder 30 contacts the side plate 10. This rotation of the cam 31 allows the strike lever 27 to engage the teeth D on the shank D. In this position (see FIG. 8) the coin is deposited in the coin compartment, and the patrons key is released for removal.

The security device D, D may then be pushed inwardly so that the teeth D on the shank D are in position to be engaged by the edge 27 after lever 27 has been permitted to move by the cam 31 to the right as indicated in FIGURE 8. It will thus be seen that the equipment is securely locked in position.

T release the article, the patrons key is reinserted in the control barrel 11 and the cam 31 is thereby rotated 180 in the direction of the arrow (FIG. 8). The movement of the cam 31 as it is mounted eccentrically on the control barrel 11 causes the strike lever 27 to be moved away from the shank D, thus disengaging it from the teeth D and releasing the security device D. The cam 31 has then again assumed a position whereby the shoulders 29 and 3t) are in contact and engaged (FIG. 7). The patron then pulls out the locking bar D, rotates it to a vertical position and removes the equipment.

We claim:

1. A locking mechanism for skis, ski poles and the the like, comprising, a transversely U-shaped plate including an attaching wall and spaced side walls having recesses, a combined lock-housing and coin box disposed between said spaced side walls to provide article repository chambers, said housing having a coin slot and a front opening in the same horizontal plane as said recesses, a

patrons key controlled lock on the front wall of the coin box, cooperating means on the coin box and attaching wall including a proprietor-operated key controlled lock for releasably connecting the coin box to said attaching wall, a bracket within the coin box provided with an opening disposed coaxially with said opening in the housing, a cover plate supported on said bracket and having a keeper opening also coaxial with said front opening of the coin box, a patrons key controlled cam having a coin pocket and a peripheral shoulder, said cam mounted on said cover plate, a strike lever having a shoulder at one end and pivoted at its other end to said cover plate, a spring normally biasing said lever toward said cam periphery, whereby when the shoulders on the cam and the strike lever are engaged the cam pocket faces the coin slot of the coin box, and an article securing member including a head spanning said article repository chambers and having a shank provided with teeth, whereby, when the shank is pushed through the coaxial openings of the coin box, bracket and cam plate, the said teeth will engage the strike lever to hold the said head in the recesses until the patrons control key turns the cam to release the strike lever and the coin pocket is returned into receiving relation with the slot of the coin box and the shoulders of the cam and strike lever re-engage.

2. A locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the combined lock housing and coin box has top, bottom, and side walls spaced from the inner faces of the spaced side walls of the U-shaped plane thereby to provide article repository keeper chambers.

3. A locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein, the combined housing and coin box has front, side, top, and bottom walls, flanges at the inner ends of said top and bottom walls, the lower flange being of greater depth than the upper flange, a coin box securing plate fastened to the inner face of the attaching wall of said U-shaped plate and having upper and lower flanges offset from the body thereof, whereby, the bottom flange of the coin box may be first inserted in the bottom offset flange of said securing plate while the upper end of the box moves upwardly until the short flange on the box can be fitted behind the upper flange of the securing plate whereupon the coin box securing plate may be moved downwardly, and proprietors key-controlled lock means for locking the coin box to the attaching wall of said U- shaped plate.

4. A locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the bracket is a vertically disposed U-shaped member whose web has an opening coaxially disposed with respect to the opening in the front wall of the coin box, and the leg portions of said bracket engage the inner face of the front wall of the coin box, and fastenings for securing the bracket to the inner face of the front wall of the coin box, thereby to provide space for accommodating the barrel portion of the patrons key-controlled lock.

5. A locking mechanism according to claim 4 wherein, a cover plate is supported by and spaced from the web portion of the bracket and said cover plate has a keeper opening coaxially disposed with respect to the opening in the front wall of the cover of the coin box and the opening in the bracket, a cam pivotally mounted on the cover plate and having a coin pocket and a peripheral shoulder, said cam being rotated by the patrons control key, said strike lever having a shoulder for engaging with the shoulder on the cam when the coin pocket is turned toward the coin slot in the top wall of the coin box and said strike lever will be moved to a position within the circumference of said keeper opening.

6. A locking mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the cover plate is provided with a pivoted pawl whose free end is adapted to fall into the cam pocket when said pocket is empty to prevent locking of the device without depositing a coin in said coin slot.

7. A locking mechanism for skis, ski poles, and the like, comprising, a transversely U-shaped plate including a pair of opposed side walls and a medial Web portion, a pair of transversely aligned recesses at the edges of said side Walls opposite said web portion,

a combined lock housing and coin box removably mounted on said web portion intermediate said side walls to provide article repository chambers therebetween,

a T-shaped locking member supported by said lock housing including a shank passing into said housing and a locking bar head normal to the shank and adapted to have its free ends disposed Within said recesses to retain articles Within said chambers,

means in said housing for engaging said shank to retain the ends of said head in said recesses to secure articles disposed in said chambers,

6 a stop nut on said shank within said housing to limit the outward axial movement of the shank at a point Where the free ends of the head are withdrawn from said recesses, and key controlled means for locking and releasing said shank in a plurality of axial positions, whereby, when released, said shank may be pulled outwardly until said stop nut limits the shank travel, and said bar head being rotatable 90 to present uninhibited access to said chambers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SKIS, SKI POLES AND THE THE LIKE, COMPRISING, A TRANSVERSELY U-SHAPED PLATE INCLUDING AN ATTACHING WALL AND SPACED SIDE WALLS HAVING RECESSES, A COMBINED LOCK-HOUSING AND COIN BOX DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID SPACED SIDE WALLS TO PROVIDE ARTICLE REPOSITORY CHAMBERS, SAID HOUSING HAVING A COIN SLOT AND A FRONT OPENING IN THE SAME HORIZONTAL PLANE AS SAID RECESSES, A PATRON''S KEY CONTROLLED LOCK ON THE FRONT WALL OF THE COIN BOX, COOPERATING MEANS ON THE COIN BOX AND ATTACHING WALL INCLUDING A PROPRIETOR-OPERATED KEY CONTROLLED LOCK FOR RELEASABLY CONNECTING THE COIN BOX TO SAID ATTACHING WALL, A BRACKET WITHIN THE COIN BOX PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING DISPOSED COAXIALLY WITH SAID OPENING IN THE HOUSING, A COVER PLATE SUPPORTED ON SAID BRACKET AND HAVING A KEEPER OPENING ALSO COAXIAL WITH SAID FRONT OPENING OF THE COIN BOX, A PATRON''S KEY CONTROLLED CAM HAVING A COIN POCKET AND A PERIPHERAL SHOULDER, SAID CAM MOUNTED ON SAID COVER PLATE, A STRIKE LEVER HAVING A SHOULDER AT ONE END AND PIVOTED AT ITS OTHER END TO SAID COVER PLATE, A SPRING NORMALLY BIASING SAID LEVER TOWARD SAID CAM PERIPHERY, WHEREBY WHEN THE SHOULDERS ON THE CAM AND THE STRIKE LEVER ARE ENGAGED THE CAM POCKET FACES THE COIN SLOT OF THE COIN BOX, AND AN ARTICLE SECURING MEMBER INCLUDING A HEAD SPANNING SAID ARTICLE REPOSITORY CHAMBERS AND HAVING A SHANK PROVIDED WITH TEETH, WHEREBY, WHEN THE SHANK IS PUSHED THROUGH THE COAXIAL OPENINGS OF THE COIN BOX, BRACKET AND CAM PLATE, THE SAID TEETH WILL ENGAGE THE STRIKE LEVER TO HOLD THE SAID HEAD IN THE RECESS UNTIL THE PATRON''S CONTROL KEY TURNS THE CAM TO RELEASE THE STRIKE LEVER AND THE COIN POCKET IS RETURNED INTO RECEIVING RELATION WITH THE SLOT OF THE COIN BOX AND THE SHOULDERS OF THE CAM AND STRIKE LEVER RE-ENGAGE. 